Carton



Nov. 29, 1938. V L BEN'OI T" 2,138,019 I CARTON Filed March 22, 1937Patented Nov. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFiCE cAa'roN Leon Benoit, New York, N.Y.

Application March 22, 1937, Serial No. 132,216

4 Claim.

This invention which relates to a carton is concerned particularly withthe provision of certain locks by which swingable sections in a wall ofthe carton, usually its top, may be secured in closed position, and bywhich multiple. carton components may be secured against disassembly.

The swingable section lock herein disclosed may be employedadvantageously with a carton of the cellular type, either of single ormulti-piece construction. One of its walls, usually the top, may bepro-formed with certain weakened lines which define one or more sectionsadapted for swing able separation from such wall whereby to expose thecarton contents. The lock thus provided for each swingable section is ofintegral construction, it involves no'additional cost or extraoperations in its production, and it is easily operated so as to securein place the swingable section once it has been swingingly separatedfrom the associated wall.

The present invention also includes a lock which is applicable to acarton of the filler package type, i. e., a package comprising acellular. filler slidably received within a protecting enclosuretherefor, such as an open-ended tube. The locking means herein disclosedinvolves no change or modification whatsoever in the filler itself,which is maintained intact for use independently of the enclosure; thelock suffices, however, to retain the filler securely within itsenclosing cartonso as to receive protection therefrom.

These features of improvement are susceptible of embodiment in variousforms and ways of which certain exemplifications are shown in theaccompanying drawing in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filler package type of carton in thecondition which exists prior toppening of any of its cover sections;

Fig.2. is a view of the blank from which the filler enclosure is formed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in section taken on line 3--3 of FigaiFig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view looking toward one corner ofthe carton showing a swingable cover section locked in closed position;and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail insection taken on 1ine55ofFig.4.

In the carton shown, a filler F is slidably accommodated within anenclosure E having the general form of an open-ended tube. Thisenclosure (see Fig. 2) may be formed from a sheet of chip board or othersuitable material which is bent along parallel lines to provide a bottom6,

top is provided with a flap l0 which depends along the front wall overwhich it extends and to which it is desirably secured as by an adhesive.

The cellular filler may be of multi-piece type or, as shown, may be ofintegral construction made from pulp which is molded to shape. Thefiller package illustrated is one which is suitable for the reception ofeggs or like articles and is so dimensioned that its filler is providedwith twelve cells arranged in two rows of six each. These cells areformed by the contours of the filler walls which are so configured as todefine individual cells with undulating portions of the walls extendedtherebetween (see Fig. 3).

In order that the filler'may be prevented from sliding endwise out ofits enclosure, I provide a lock which, as shown, may comprise single ordouble tabs l5 formed in selected walls of the enclosure adapted to bestruck inwardly so as to lie between cell-separating walls of thefiller. To produce these double tabs H-cuts are formed in the walls ofthe enclosure. The tabs, when bent inwardly, will tend to remain in aposition which will interfere with endwise movement of the filler withinthe enclosure. By the means described the filler is accordingly lockedin place. Withdrawal of the filler may be accomplished in response to anendwise force of sufiicient strength to produce a recession of thelocking tabs. In the case of a molded filler, such as the one hereinshown, the walls defining the cells undulate therebetween (see Fig. 3)in such a way as to engage at an easy angle with the locking tabs,thereby facilitating the recession of the tabs when occasion arises forthe application of an endwise force for withdrawal of the filler.

Regardless 'of the form of enclosure used, the top or cover wall may beprovided with one or more sections adapted for swirigable separationwhereby to expose the carton contents, or only a selected portionthereof. This feature of my intion will now be explained in detail.

As shown, the carton has its top secured in down position so that accesstherethrough is barred. Formed in such a top, however, are lines ofseverance defining one or more sections adapted to be swinginglyseparated therefrom. As indicated, each section is defined by spacedparallel lines of perforations which extend across the cover from oneside thereof to the other. In the construction shown, three suchsections X, Y and Z, each of a diflerent size, are suggested. Thesection X is defined by the lines a and b, the section Y by the sameline b and the line 0, and the section by the lines d and e. Theseseveral lines extend in parallel relationship to a point near the frontupper edge of the carton where each pair converges at a, b, c, d and e,and then extends downwardly over the carton corner to join with opposedshoulders 11', b", c", d" and e. These several shoulders are alignedjust below the upper front edge of the carton, and below the shoulderseach pair of perforated lines continue downwardly, and thencehorizontally into meeting relation, thereby defining tabs m, y, z forthe three sections X, Y and Z, respectively.

In such a construction the pre-defined sections are adapted to beseparated from the carton top wall and from its depending flap exceptalong the rear upper edge [6 of the carton where its connectiontherewith remains intact. Along this edge is formed the hinge lines forthe three sections. It will be apparent that any one, two or three ofthe sections so' formed may be separated from the top for swingingmovement. In any carton construction employing a multiplicity of suchseparable sections, the user has the option of which ones he willdisengage from the carton top for swinging movement preliminary togaining access to the proximate portion of the carton interior.

By reason of convergence of each pair of perforated lines at the pointsmarked a, b, c, d and e, a series of bridges 20 remain upon the cartontop wall (see Fig. 4). When a section has been swingingly separated, thetab at its free end may be employed to lock the section down in closedposition by pressing the tab inwardly so that it lies to the inside ofthe front wall 8 (see Fig.

when the severed section is pressed down into the plane of the top. Inreaching this position the opposed shoulders of the tab may slide uponthe inclined edges of the two bridges until they lie therebelow toengage therewith from the underside. The swinging section is thereuponsecured in down position. It may be opened up again only by forcing backthe tab to a point where its shoulders may be disengaged from theconfining bridges. This may be accomplished either by the finger or bythe use of a thin implement, such as a knife.

In the construction shown, I have indicated a further perforated line 25extending transversely around the carton preferably at a point midwaybetween its two ends. This line which extends between two of theswingable sections will facilitate separation of the carton into twohalves. The filler within the carton is similarly provided with aperforated or weakened line 26 whereby it will concurrently separate inthe same plane. Accordingly when the carton is broken in two, there willbe left in each carton half a filler of corresponding size lockedtherein by one of the tabs l5. The swingable sections, in theconstruction shown, are not affected by any separation of the carton inits entirety, since each section remains entirely free to operate thesame as before.

It will be observed that the features of improvement herein disclosedare applicable to cartons of various types, with or without separablefillers, and severable or not into two or more units. In providingswingingly separable sections, I make use of a flap or strip whichoverlies one wall of the carton to produce at that point a two plyconstruction, the locking tab for each section being struck from suchflap while the wall to the inside thereof remains intact to afiord anabutment for the locking tab when it is inserted to the inside positionshown in Fig. 5. In addition, the

lock for the slidable filler is releasable because of the curvingcharacter of the filler walls 'with which it engages. When such releasetakes place, the locking tabs are not of necessity swung back into theplane of the wall from which they are struck, but the wall itself in theregion of such tabs may be outwardly bowed as required to permit endwisemovement of the filler. This manner of operation is the result ofemploying curved cell-forming walls for the filler, the curves providingin efiect cams upon which the tabs may ride when a sufiicient endwiseforce is applied to dislodge the filler from the enclosing carton.

Another feature to be noted is the formation of separable swingingsections the last two of which are spaced apart to leave an interveningstrap or web which maintains a transverse continuity for the enclosureat that point. The plane of severability for the carton and fillerpasses through this web or strap so that the carton is not undulyweakened. The separable sections are accordingly permitted toswing openand be closed without danger of the carton and its filler separatinginto two units, except when a special breaking force is applied for thispurpose.

I claim:

1. In a carton produced from a sheet of resilient material, thecombination of enclosing walls which comprise a cover having a dependingflap in overlying relation to an adjacent vertical wall to which theflap is adapted to be secured, and connected lines of severance formedin the cover and flap defining a plurality of sections each swinginglyseparable from the cover and each section provided in the plane of theflap with a shouldered locking tab disposed upon the free edge of thesection when swingingly separated from the cover, the vertical walladjacent the flap being extended upwardly to approximately the line ofjuncture between the flap and cover, the tab tending normally to swingout toward the plane of the cover and the cover being extended inwardlyfor engagement with the shouldered portion of the tab when the latter isswung inwardly and disposed to the inside of the said vertical wall.

2. In a carton produced from a sheet of resillent material, thecombination of enclosing walls which comprise a cover having a dependingfiap in overlying relation to an adjacent vertical wall to which theflap is adapted to be secured, and connected lines of severance formedin the cover and flap defining a plurality of sections each swinginglyseparable from the cover and each section provided in the plane of theflap with a shouldered locking tab disposed upon the free edge of thesection when swingingly separated from the cover, the tab tendingnormally to swing out toward the plane of the cover and the cover beingextended inwardly for engagement with the shouldered portion of the tabwhen the latter is swung inwardly and disposed to the inside of the saidvertical wall.

3. In a carton produced from a sheet of resili'ent material, thecombination of enclosing walls which comprise a cover having a dependingflap in overlying relation to an adjacent vertical wall to which theflap is adapted to be secured, and connected lines of severance formedin the cover and flap defining a plurality of sections each swinginglyseparable from the cover and each section having converging edges at theflap with a shouldered locking tab disposed upon the free edge of thesection when swingingly separated from the cover, the vertical walladjacent the vertical wall to which the cover is adapted to be secured;lines of severance defining in the ilap a tab adapted to be severedtheregom while retaining connection with the cover, e tab ends beingformed to provide oppositely extending shoulders aligned just below thecover and adapted, when forced, to occupy positions to; the inside ofthe said vertical enclosure wall. and means formed on one 01' theenclosure walls lying in the plane of the cover when closed adapted toengage the tab shoulders when disposed to the'inslde of the ver- 10tical enclosure wall aforesaid. LEON BENQI'I.

